April 15 marks the day when Lieutenant Colonel Maurice Brochet de Vaugrigneuse was killed during the war in Algeria, in 1957. At the time, he was the temporary commander of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI). Almost-forgotten officer of the Foreign Legion, this article was written to honor his memory.
Andrew J. Mitchell: Collecting French Foreign Legion Insignia – 2nd Foreign Regiment
In early April 2022, a new English-written book dedicated to the French Foreign Legion was released: Collecting French Foreign Legion Insignia, Volume II, 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment. Another original work of Andrew J. Mitchell, an Irish amateur historian and a Foreign Legion insignia collector.
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PHOTOS: 2nd Motorized Company GPLEM in Taroudant, Morocco, in 1954
Here is a small set of photos taken in Morocco, North Africa, in 1954. They are showing legionnaires of the 2nd Motorized Company (2e CP) of the Foreign Legion Moroccan Motorized Group (GPLEM) in Taroudant. The photos were provided to our website by Krzysztof Schramm, historian of the A.A.A.L.E. de Pologne veteran association and the author of I regret nothing.
Read morePHOTOS: 2nd Motorized Company GPLEM in Taroudant, Morocco, in 1954
13e DBLE: Foreign Legion’s Designated Marksmen Meeting 2022
In mid-March, the 13th Foreign Legion Half Brigade (13e DBLE) organized the very first meeting of Foreign Legion designated marksmen (tireurs de précision).
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DLEM: HQ Company on Glorioso Islands
Since March 16, 2022, the men of the Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte (DLEM) have been deployed to the Glorioso Islands, a French overseas territory in the Indian Ocean, located north of Madagascar.
2e REG: March 2022 Mountain Training
The 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG), the youngest regiment of the French Foreign Legion, is a unit that trains its men for mountain warfare. See some nice images from the March 2022 training in the French Alps.
PHOTOS: Algerian War 1954-1962
Sixty years ago – on March 19, 1962 – the Algerian War ended. One of the decolonization movements that affected the Western empires after World War II, the Algerian War took place between 1954 and 1962 in Algeria, the then French department situated in North Africa. The war was fought between the French armed forces and the National Liberation Army (ALN), the armed wing of the National Liberation Front (FLN). The French Foreign Legion, firmly established in Algeria since 1831, took an important part in the conflict, as the main core of the French intervention forces. Officially, the Legion lost 65 officers, 278 NCOs, and 1,633 legionnaires in action. See over 30 iconic pictures to commemorate the war and those who fought in it on the Legion side.
PHOTOS: 6e REI in Tunisia around 1950
Here is a small set of photos taken in Tunisia, North Africa, in 1949 or 1950. They show a German 1st Class Legionnaire who served with the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment (6e REI) in Tabarka. At the time, the 2nd Battalion 6e REI was stationed in this coastal town situated in the northwestern part of the country.
Foreign Legion Music Band: A song performed in support of Ukrainian families
The 10th of March 2022 marked the 191st anniversary of the creation of the French Foreign Legion. To commemorate this event, the Foreign Legion Music Band (MLE) performed a concert in Aubagne, the Legion’s Mother-house, a day earlier. During this performance, a Ukrainian folk song – Shabelina – was played in support of the Ukrainian families of the victims of the ongoing war.
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French Foreign Legion and Ukraine
Last week, the commander-in-chief of the French Foreign Legion made an address to his Ukrainian legionnaires and their families, in view of the current sad conflict in their country.
2e REI: MMP missile for the first time
In February 2022, at Camp Canjuers, legionnaires of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) were firing MMP guided missiles for the very first time.